memoirs of a gay huntsman

Monthly Archives: November 2014

For day four of the rifle season for deer, November 6, 2014, Omer and I opted for a duck hunt on the Tay River. I saw goldeneyes on the Rideau River while running my dog Hera earlier in the week and hoped we would find some on the Tay, a goldeneye hotspot for us in seasons past. I was up at 3:00 am, having breakfast and loading my cameras, shotgun and shells–the last items I load in my SUV before setting out–and made my way to the garage where I store my boat and trailer. I arrived there in good time, the plan was for Omer to meet me there at 4:00 am and we would make our way together to the Tay River, which is about one hour’s drive from the city. Omer was running late, so we met up en route and continued on to the edge of the Tay River, shortly after 5:00 am, still in good time. Legal shooting time started at 6:20 am. This allowed us time to make our way to our site and set out the decoys with time to spare. So far so good it was, but what followed is a hunt that will live on in ignominy. Continue reading →

The first week of the rifle season in the area near Spencerville, Ontario where my hunting buddies and I sit in our stands during the deer season is over. What a week it was. We hunt on the farm of friends who allow us access. The farm is surrounded by crown land, much of it swamp. Monday, November 3rd was the opening of the season. The Saturday before Jason, Omer and I put out 800 lbs of apples by Jason’s stand at the edge of a patch of the swampland. Last season Jason shot a 6 point buck in the first hour on the opening day of the season from his stand. Jason was not with Omer and me for the opening of this season. Omer sat in Jason’s stand–Omer has yet to shoot a deer so we want him to get one this season if possible–I sat in Fran’s (Jason’s wife) stand. Jason and Fran have a four month old daughter, Rose, at home so their hunting opportunities are limited this season. In their absence, Omer and I, with their blessing, sat in their stands. Omer and I were in our stands by 2:00 pm. We sat until the end of legal shooting time, half hour after sunset, and no deer were seen. We heard shooting from the surrounding crown land, so it looked like a good start to the season for some of the deer hunters in the area. Continue reading →